The one thing that Villa are missing

Villa blogger Dave Bytheway believes the festive league schedule highlighted the one weapon that the claret and blues are missing as a new decade gets into swing.

Since my last blog a lot has gone on surrounding Villa, and as normal not all of it positive.

We started to look a much stronger outfit, capable of beating anyone, which we proved to be the case with an unbelievable win at Old Trafford as previously talked about, backed up with the wins against Sunderland and Stoke. People started taking us a little more seriously again - as they did last season!

Then the all too familiar happened, as we got thumped back down to earth again with a dismal display against Arsenal. To be fair we did OK in the first half and for 20 minutes or so were the better side, but as soon as Cesc Fabregas entered the field we knew that little bit of class we just don't have at the moment would prove the difference.

The classy Spainard duly obliged to his manager Arsene Wenger's request, came on, played half an hour, scored two and won the game for the Gunners. It's hard to argue against anyone of his quality, but on the day Fabregas was immense.

We then had two days to pick ourselves up against Liverpool and, to be fair, I thought we were the only team that would take the three points. We controlled the game from start to almost finish but, as against Arsenal, one player with that extra bit of class proved the difference on the night.

Fernando Torres didn't do a thing all game, hardly kicked the ball and looked lacklustre. But, as with Fabregas, the Spainard won Liverpool the three points. One kick, one slip from our defender and Torres was there.

These two games, two games lost on the basis of two players surely show our manager Martin O'Neill that we are so close to matching them. We need one player who can change a game on his own to get us there. We have plenty of quality in players prepared to graft, plenty of depth now and a few stand out players, but not one who is in the Fabregas or Torres bracket.

Instead of spending money on another four or five squad players, I would love to see Martin go out and spend big on just one. Someone who will get us 25 goals a season and help us push for that top four. Someone like Tottenham striker Jermain Defoe, or if we were to really get carried away Valencia superstar David Villa, and why not?

We are a big club, we are pushing for top honours and would fit into out setup perfectly. For a marketing ploy it would prove a real gem, imagaine how many shirts with 'Villa 9' would be sold. Or maybe my judgement has been hampered by the Christmas sherry has started taking effect!

Overall though, I have to say i'm happy. Everything is still on track for the overall plans and we're constantly improving. Let's hope 2010 finally brings us a trophy though because, after all, that is what football's about.

Happy New Year to you all! Up the Villa!